If you wouldn't post it on your front door, don't post it online.
Web transmissions aren't foolproof unless they use secure forms of
authentication and encryption. Posting something online is just as open
and available to others as posting something on your door.
Use privacy settings to help control who can access your information.
Many sites, including Facebook, allow you to restrict the availability of your profile to certain individuals. While these settings provide no guarantees, they can be a useful tool in gaining some control over your details and photos.
Your online profile may be the only impression someone has of you.
While close friends may know you're joking about something you've posted, another student, staff member, or faculty member who stumbles across your profile may have only that information to gauge who you are. Make sure the image you're projecting online is one that accurately represents you. If your mom, your dad, your professors, or the university wouldn't approve, think twice before posting it.
Civility matters (even on the Internet).
The web is a great way to connect with others and sites like Facebook, MySpace, Xanga, and LiveJournal are great ways to join an ever-growing community. But remember that UT expects students to abide by the Honor Code, and that community extends into cyberspace. The rules of civility still apply on the web. Be respectful. Be honest. Be responsible.
Adapted with permission from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University.
